Kendrapara: Unsafe country boats without having adequate safety measures continue to ferry hundreds of tourists and locals across the water bodies to visit Bhitarkanika National Park, Hukitola island, Habelikothi, Batighara (Lighthouse) island, Barunei river mouth, Rangalni, Talachua and other places in Kendrapara district
People are being fetched in a perilous ride to various tourist sites by country and tourist boats despite a ban in place for country boat after the Chilika boat tragedy claimed six lives.
These tourist sites witness heavy footfall during peak tourist season every year and around 45 unsafe boats are endangering the lives of the tourists visiting these sites. As many as 27 persons have drowned in boat mishaps since 2003.
Kendrapara district lies in the river delta formed by the Brahmani and the Baitarani rivers and the distributaries of the Mahanadi. The main medium of communication in 17 panchayats is water route as the district has several river networks.
A lot of precaution has to be taken while travelling through the water routes. However, the local boatmen and even tourists overlook these aspects and endanger the lives of the people while ferrying them to various tourist sites.
Fourteen years back, 13 members of a local cricket team had drowned when the overcrowded boat sank in the Mahanadi near Bahakuda Ghat.
Mishaps and loss of life is a regular affair here. This has happened as the district administration has failed to implement the 2004 boat rules of the state government. Locals alleged that mishaps in these water routes have become a frequent occurrence due to apathetic attitude of the district administration.
A social activist Amitabh Chand alleged that most of the boats plying these water routes and their oarsmen are yet to be included in the insurance scheme on the basis of the boat rules of the state government.
Sources said, over 60 boats ply in these rivers in Bhitarkanika National Park without a proper fitness certificate and without life jackets for any of their travelers. Due to absence of fitness certificate, if the boat sinks then people travelling in them will not be entitled to any compensation.
Rajendra Sahu of Gupti panchayat under Rajnagar block said there are over 1700 saltwater crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika National Park adding to the risks in case of a capsize.
People from Gupti, Chandbali, Khola, Jainagar, Kharinasi, Bahakuda and Jambu often travel to Bhitarkanika in boats. Moreover, many of these boatmen are minors and lack any skill or experience for which there is every possibility of boat mishaps in these rivers during risky weather conditions. Overloading of boats is attributed as the main reason behind such mishaps.
The residents have drawn the attention of political representatives and senior district officials towards the problem but their pleas are yet to be addressed.
When contacted, Basant Kumar Rout, additional district magistrate (ADM) said that the district administration has directed all the boat owners to include their boatmen and boats in the insurance schemes. Owners of the country boats and their oarsmen are being sensitized to provide life jackets to travelers. Tourists are also being advised to refrain from getting on the boats without wearing life jackets. Action will be taken if anybody is found violating norms, he said.
